Got the green light from parents to obtain a mobile phone. So ... limitations being
a) i don't already own a mobile so i'll have to sign up for a plan (2-years) to obtain a free one, since purchasing the cheapest one over-the-counter works out to over $200.
b) must be cheap cheap cheap!

This is rubbishly confusing.
Orange, a subset of Yes Optus, runs a CDMA network with possibly the cheapest per minute pricing. $5 subscription fee, with no free talktime, and flagfall (connection fee for every successful call) of 20c and 18c per 30 seconds. SMSes are 22c.
No free phones- but i can get a relatively un-ugly phone for $218 or $288.
Downside: CDMA phone would be useless in singapore.

Vodaphone:
Per second billing
Peak/off-peak separate charges. Off-peak is 8pm to 8am on normal days, and all sunday.
Connection fee of $71.50
Contract term of 2 years.

$17 per month plan:
Peak- 74.3 cents per 30 sec, flag fall 28.6c
Off-peak- 64.4c, flagfall 15.4c

$22 per month plan:
Peak- 53.9c per 30 sec, flagfall 28.5c
Off-peak- 20.4c, flagfall 15.4c

$33 per month plan:
Peak-40.1c per 30 sec, flagfall 28.6c
Off-peak- 20.4c, 15.4c

Prepaid: 30c per 30 sec. I think.

Yes optus!
Rollover unused talktime
Perk: choose from
a) Call any mobile network or landline, anywhere in Australia for just 30c for 10 minutes per call, 8pm to 7am every day.
b) Free calls from one Optus Mobile Digital to another, 8pm to midnight every night for the first 20 minutes per call within Australia. 'yes' Time is a special promotion available until 31 December 2002.
(b) is a big draw to my friends here- most of them subscribe to optus because of it.

$22 per month plan
$15 credit
Flat rate of 51.7c per 30sec, flagfall 24.2c

$33 per month plan
$33 credit
Flate rate of 44c per 30sec, flagfall 24.2c

If i subscribe to the $33 plan for 2 years i get the polyphonic panasonic GD75 free!
Then again i hardly know anything about different handphone models. Sigh.